Anna Peer
The influential restaurant chain reinstates its cage-free policy after years of silence.
In a victory for transparency and animal protection, Taco John’s has finally joined industry leaders Taco Bell and Del Taco in making its cage-free egg progress public.
After years of falling behind its competitors in the Tex-Mex space on animal welfare standards—including a period where it had completely removed its cage-free commitment—the restaurant chain has now reported that 12% of its eggs come from cage-free systems and confirmed it’s on track to reach 100% by the end of 2025.
Operating nearly 400 locations across 23 states, this renewed commitment to transparency and reducing animal suffering marks an important shift for Taco John’s. While its current progress shows it has significant ground to cover to catch up with industry leaders, its willingness to reinstate its commitment and report openly on its journey represents an important step toward corporate accountability.
This progress didn’t happen in a vacuum—it came after sustained public pressure demanding greater transparency about how animals are treated in corporate supply chains. When companies hide their practices or backtrack on animal welfare commitments, it goes against our shared values of preventing unnecessary suffering and holding corporations accountable for their impact on animals.
As Taco John’s works to align its practices with leading competitors who have already embraced cage-free standards, it has committed to providing annual progress updates. This regular reporting will ensure the public can monitor its journey toward eliminating one of the most severe forms of farmed animal confinement from its supply chain.
